Kerry Boys winner Jack Murphy pictured with his parents John and Mary.
Young Douglas golfer Jack Murphy might be just 13 years old, but he made a big impression in Ballybunion today when he won the famous Kerry Boys Championship. And it was a double success for Cork as Daniel O’Sullivan won the Plate Final.
Murphy added his name to a list of high profile winners after a excellent display of golf this afternoon. He was up against Lee Valley’s Keelan McCarthy in an all-Cork final, and despite being 5 years younger, the Douglas golfer came out on top. He got off to a flying start this afternoon, he was three up after six holes on the challenging Cashen course. By the turn he added another to go five up, and he closed out the match on the 14th after winning 5&4. It was a great week for Murphy, he opened with a 77/82 in the strokeplay qualifier to make the top flight championship draw with a few shots to Continue reading
There’s plenty of Cork interest in Ballybunion today as the round of 16 matchplay gets underway. The Cashen course in North West Kerry proved to be a good challenge for some of Ireland’s top young golfers over the past two days, with six Cork golfers making it through to the last sixteen. Mukerry’s Fionn Hickey shot the low round yesterday, a 73 saw him top day two and added to his opening 76, he qualified comfortably. The Irish International had a colourful scorecard yesterday and interesting it included four birdies – all of which came on the par three’s. Tom Higgins from Roscommon was the top qualifier on 148, with Hickey one shot behind on 149.
It’s been 30 years since anyone has managed to win back to back titles, and today John Murphy waited until the 19th hole to grasp back the trophy that he proudly won last year.
Holder John Murphy will face last year’s semi-finalist Sean Desmond in an all Cork semi-final at the Kerry Boys in Ballybunion. The Kinsale and Monkstown golfers extended their stay in Ballybunion as they both won two rounds of matchplay golf today on the Cashen course. Brian O’Connell and Eric Rumley lost out in this morning’s first round while Mark Healy got through the the quarter final. Healy lost out this afternoon after a close match with Nenagh’s Scott O’Brien. O’Brien will face home place Ronan Cross in the other semi-final. There was little joy for Cork golfer in the plate, Charleville’s Cathal O’Carroll is the only remaining Cork representative.
Davey Barry (Douglas) is in action at the PGA Assistants Championship, he shot a level par 72 in his first round at Little Aston Golf Club in Bermingham. Barry had three birdies and three bogies in his opening 18 holes, and he’s just inside the top twenty heading into the second round.
Cork Golf News 